1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a new apparatus to be installed in dentistry drill such as air turbines or contras, used for dentistry treatment, for putting oral cavity organs out of way.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, medical instruments such as drilling machines with a cutting tool (bur) on the tip, mirrors for observing the state of the location being submitted to treatment, and vacuum tips to remove waste fluids such as saliva are utilized for dental treatment involving drilling and other kinds of operation. Among these various tools, mirror and vacuum tip are also used to put oral cavity organs, such as lips, tongue, cheeks, masseter, upper and lower protruding maxillary muscles, etc., that interfere with treatment, and thus avoid contact with the cutting tool (bur).
However, it is difficult for the dentist to utilize these various apparatuses all by himself. Specialized assistants, that take care of the compressive displacement job, that consists of putting the oral cavity organs that interfere with the treatment work out of the way by holding them by means of such apparatuses as the mirror, the vacuum tip or the hand, are required.
Therefore, in these types of drilling treatment, the so-called "four-handed dentistry", where the patient laying on his back is submitted to the treatment carried out by the dentist and the assistant, is the most common treatment position. In this case, such skilled techinques as mirror and oral vacuum techniques and techniques for handing over of tools are necessary for both the dentist and the assistant. Besides that, if there is considerable difference between the skill levels of the dentist and the assistant, there is possibility of occurrence of such problems as the treatment may not be carried out smoothly, it may take too much time, etc.
The "four-handed dentistry" carried out in the sitting position, which was discussed above, is extremely advantageous for executing complex works, such as those required in surgeries. It must be remembered, however, that most of the dental treatments are related to caries and the drilling treatments related the teeth. This invention, which is a new dentistry apparatus, was developed in view of such a reality and the problems mentioned above, in order to make it possible for the dentist to easily execute the drilling treatments by himself, at the various parts to be submitted the treatment.
The technical functions of the mirror and the vacuum tip used for putting the oral cavity organs out of the way in the drilling treatment of the teeth are: first, to avoid contact between the cutting tool (bur) and the oral cavity organs; second, to improve visibility of the cutting tool (bur), hindered by the oral cavity organs; third, to improve visibility of the part being submitted to treatment; and fourth, to make up room to freely move the cutting tool (bur) near the teeth. Regarding tools that satisfy mainly the first function, American U.S. Pat. Nos. 525,278, 1,004,118, 107,571, 1,101,947, 2,307,677, 2,671,269 and 2,924,013, among others, are drilling machine systems that have protecting plates on the tips. These protecting plates are installed in appropriate places near the tip of drilling machines, surrounding the cutting tool (bur) either partially or totally, to avoid contact between the cutting tool (bur) and the oral cavity organs.
However, the only objective of the protecting plate apparatuses shown in those patents is merely to protect oral cavity organs located at the periphery of the bur, and thus the position of the tip of the cutting machine either cannot be adjusted, or rotates just a little at the point of contact. It is then impossible to adjust the position during utilization inside the oral cavity. With respect to the cutting tool (bur), it is not built in such as to make it possible to put the oral cavity organs out of the way by compressing them. For that reason, it is obvious that it is necessary to use other apparatuses such as mirrors, vacuum tips and the like when utilizing this kind of apparatus. Furthermore, the visibility of the cutting tool (bur) becomes even worse with the installation of the protecting plate, thereby impeding the execution of an appropriate treatment in the teeth of the patient.